CHAPTER 11: THE MEN

Devon dropped me home after we smoked weed under the mango tree. I went inside my room so that my mom wouldn't notice that my eyes are red. I don’t want her to know that I tried to smoke weed and of course, I don’t want her to think that Devon is a bad influence; Of course, he is not. Actually after what happened a while ago in school. Smoking with Devon makes me relax and until now I feel so relaxed. I lay down on my bed and looked at the ceiling again after I untied Hello Kitty and let it roam inside my room. Anyway, my door is closed and it cannot go out. I feel stoned and lazy. I just want to lay down and do nothing when my phone vibrates and I know it’s Devon. I stand up to get my phone inside my bag and lay down on my bed again while reading his message. He is asking me to go to the playground again but I feel lazy so I said no but I invite him over instead if it’s fine with him.

While waiting for his reply. I heard a laugh again and a giggle from the girl inside my room. I lifted my head up to see who it was and I saw the girl again. She is laughing alone and then she stands up and runs back and forth passing through the closed door. At first I tried to ignore her but she came back laughing again. She ran to my cabinet and she knelt and put something underneath and then she ran again and disappeared. I got curious about the thing that she put under my cabinet. It looks like a piece of paper. I stand up even though I don't want to, just check what she put under. I went to my cabinet and kneel. I tried to reach what she hides and when I reached it. I immediately checked what it was out of curiosity and I was surprised when I saw a photo of two men but their faces were erased. Someone cut their heads so that no one could see their faces. I tried to familiarize who is in the photo based on the shirt that they are wearing but I can’t familiarize them. They looked like 19 years old to twenty-three years old based on their body build. The photo has already faded. It looks like it was soaked from the water. I don’t know who cut their faces and I don’t know why it was cut but the men in the picture really look familiar to me. 

I was staring at the photo when I heard a sound again and it started to irritate me again because it was echoing in my whole room. I don't know if it is really echoing or because I am just stoned. I covered my ears and dropped the photo accidentally. I sat beside my cabinet when the sound was getting louder and louder. It is like a frequency to my ear and then the sound suddenly stops and my room is quiet again. I looked around and I suddenly heard the “Aaaaaahhh” sound again. I looked at the mirror that was facing me and I saw the men standing behind me and they’re inside the mirror and they were still bleeding. I saw their blood bleeding on the floor and they tried to grab me. So I crawl away from them but they follow me. They went out from the mirror and continued making the “Aaaahhh” Sound. This time they are clear now. They are both wearing shorts, slippers, and t-shirts and I know they are the men in the picture but still, I can't see their faces. It is blurry.

“What did you want?” I asked them but they didn’t answer. They just continue making the “Aaaahhh” Sound. 

“Leave me alone,” I told them but they didn't listen.

What happened in hell will happen right now because they want to grab me. That is why I stand up and run away. I am right they followed me outside. I call mom and Nana Salve but they are just staring at me. Asking me to calm down. I know they cannot see them, that is why it is useless to ask for help from them. I run away to stay away from them but they keep on chasing me. I don’t know what they want but I know they are going to hurt me when they catch me. That is why I keep on running to save my life because nobody can. Devon is not here to save me and I don’t want to rely too much on him. I don’t want my mom to see me crazy too. That is why I kept the men that I am seeing, to myself.

“Stay away from me,” I said to them but they didn’t listen. They keep on chasing me and they mention a name that I don’t know. I didn’t hear the name clearly and all I want is to keep them away from me.

“Leave me alone!” I shouted but the more I ignored them the more they were chasing me. 

I don’t know what happened to them but I know they are hungry souls; a mad ones. That makes them evil and I know that they are connected to the girl but I don’t understand why they want me. They don’t stop chasing me and I don’t stop running away from them. I need to save myself because I don’t want to go back to hell again.

“Aaaahhh” The sounds that they are making make me slow down from running. The blood continues dripping from their wounds and it is all over the floor now. I know my mom and nana Salve cannot see them, that is why I need to fight them inside my head.

“What is going on with you?” My mom asked me and tried to stop me from running. 

“I don’t want them to get me!” I screamed

“I don’t want them to get me!” I screamed again and I tried to let go of my mother’s hand because she was holding me. She is trying to stop me from running. I know she doesn't understand but I want her to let go of me. That is why I tried to push her but she is holding me tighter and tighter. The more I want to let go of her the more she is holding me tightly.

“Mom, please,” I begged but she didn’t say anything. She is just holding me tight and at the same time, she is looking sharply at me. 

Mom, please” I said and I was almost crying but she didn't want to let go of me. 

Until I hear the “Aaahhh” Sound coming from her and blood dripping from her forehead that makes me scared because I know she is not my mom anymore. Her face changed. She became one of the men who were chasing me. 

“No” I cried because he was holding me tight and I didn't have a choice but to push him. I pushed him hard and he let go of me. That is why I took my chance to run away. I ran as fast as I could and never looked back.

“No” I cried again when I felt that they were still chasing me. I keep on running and running and running like I was in hell like before. My time in hell flashbacked. The smell, the hotness, the pains and hatred, and everything negative. Makes me scared. I don’t want to go back there. Not now. Not ever!

My phone suddenly vibrates and I can feel it. I looked around and found out that I am still lying on my bed all the time and it is all just my vision and it is not real even if it looks real. I saw Hello Kitty swaying and waving at me. If it is not with my phone vibrating I cannot come back from my senses. What just happened? I feel like I am dreaming but I know I am wide awake. I looked around again just to make sure that I am not sleeping but my phone keeps on vibrating and it vibrates on my bed. I pick it up and answer the call. Devon is calling and he told me that he will come here in a few minutes. He needs to finish some tasks first before going here. I smiled secretly because I can’t deny that I am excited again to see him even though I am always seeing him. 

I remember the photo under my cabinet. That is why I looked under my cabinet from a distance and thought about the photo. What if the photo is really there? I am curious. I want to check it but I am scared. I looked around again just to make sure that I was really awake and then I went near the cabinet. I kneel and check what is under. First I touched the dirt and the dust then when I tried to touch it further. I feel something papery and my heart beats fast. That might be the photo. That is why I grabbed it immediately to check if it is really the photo and when I brought it out. I was surprised that it was the photo that I saw in my vision.  The dust and the dirt were covering it and there’s a little mouse bite at the edges of the photo. I blew the dust and cleaned the dirt with my hand just to look at it clearly. I was surprised because it was the same. My eyes grew wide because it was exactly the same. 

The photo looks old and almost faded. It was a photo of the two men who were wearing shorts and a shirt. Their heads were cut off as if someone was mad at them to cut it off and I don’t know why is it under my cabinet and who put the photo there? Maybe the girl did. Are they involved in raping and killing the girl? I felt a shiver and my heart beat fast again. I can almost hear my own heartbeat. This is not right if the girl puts it there. I don’t know what her reason is but I think the photo would help me solve her case. I tried to look at the photo again even though I didn't know who was in the photo. That is why I decided to show it to Devon when he comes. 

“Irish, your friend is here,” Nana Salve said after the three knocks that she made on my door.

“Okay, I will go out now,” I said and I wiped my hand on my shirt to clean the dirt and I put the photo inside my pocket to show it to Devon.

I am about to open the door when I feel that someone is watching me from behind. That is why I slowly turn back to see who it is while praying that it is not the men who keep on chasing me and when I turn back. I saw Hello Kitty behind me. Swaying. I remember that I untied it and that is why it just kept on roaming inside my room. I got a hello kitty and tied it back on my chair and went out of my room. Devon is waiting for me and I can’t wait to show him the photo that I found under my cabinet. 

I went out with excitement while the photo was in my pocket. I looked at him because he looked different. There’s something that has changed in his look today. I am wondering what it is? I stare at him while he is wondering why I am staring at him. Until I figure out what makes him different today. Is his hair cut? He has an army cut that makes him more handsome. The long-tied hair before is now a clean army cut. Well anyway, I went closer to him and asked him to go to the playground because I will show him the photo and I don’t want mom and Nana Salve to hear about it. I told mom and Nana Salve that we will just go to the playground and they allow me. That is why we walk to the playground which is just five minutes away from home. 

We sat at the bench like the first time I came here. There’s a lot of kids playing with their parents or guardians who look after them. The wind started kissing my face, again blowing my hair. It is like it welcomes me.  I remember about the photo that is why I took it inside my pocket and showed it to him.

“What did you feel about that photo?” I asked him while he was staring at the photo.

“It looks creepy” He answered and flipped it back to see what was at the back.

“Where did you find this?” He asked.

“I saw the girl again putting that under my cabinet and when I checked under it… I found that” I answered and I looked at him. My eyes grew wide and told him with amazement that the girl is real, in the tone of my voice that I can’t believe that the girl is real. No matter how many times I saw her already. This time is different, she used physical evidence like the photo that she put under my cabinet that her existence is real. That she is not my imagination. So he has to believe that the girl is real even though I know he already believes.

“I have a friend who can help us about the girl” He said which makes my eyes grow wider.

“She is my old friend… we were close before but she stayed away from people when she started focusing on reaching for her goal and following the path that she chose, and that is spiritual awakening and enhancing her ability” 

“Enhancing ability… of?” I asked

“I don’t know but I guess she can help us,” He answered.

“She’s like you before… that is why she chose to focus on learning and grow into what gift she has” He added. That makes me smile and spark another torch in my dark place. I mean Devon is really my torch in the dark.